


It Must Be You

by e_riley232



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-07
Updated: 2015-07-07
Packaged: 2018-04-07 08:37:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4256721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/e_riley232/pseuds/e_riley232
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Love is complicated. So what if what was comfortable isn't what's best for the long run?<br/>Oliver Queen, reformed playboy. He's come a long way from the ultimate bachelor status, especially after the death of both his parents. He took his place at the family company and now works a 9 to 5 job. He has the love of his high school sweetheart, Laurel Lance, and an upcoming wedding that 500 of Starling City's finest can't wait to witness. But in an unexpected twist of events, he's forced to spend the weekend with his personal assistant Felicity Smoak.<br/>Felicity Smoak, most trusted PA to Oliver. She's spent three years at Oliver's beck and call, and as much as she loves her job, she's most reluctant to be forced to spend her weekend at some winery with her boss. Her and Oliver are from two completely different worlds. She's worked her butt off to get where she is, and Oliver is at the highest position because of his last name. But over the course of the weekend she learns that Oliver isn't just some spoiled brat that has everything handed over to him. She also learns that what is laid out for him in his future isn't exactly what he wants.<br/>Can three days away from reality change everything that these two are used to?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Change of Plans

It was approaching 6pm this evening and Oliver was still in his office. He usually made it a point to leave the office by 4, knowing that his secretary outside refused to leave a minute before he did. He was sitting in his armchair, the phone tucked between his ear and his shoulder listening to his fiancee over the phone. He chastised himself, knowing he should've told he'd call her once he got here. Two hours later, he was still in his office. 

"This winery is supposed to be  _the_ place for weddings. It's been owned by this family for sixty years, the pictures are beautiful. Did you get a chance to take a look at that website I e-mailed you?"

"I'll take a look at them when I get home," he answered Laurel. 

"You need to look at that website. They're holding a wedding there next weekend, and I asked if we can come up and visit. They were more than happy to invite us; excited to be a potential venue for a Queen wedding. Isn't that exciting? You just need to make sure that you get next weekend off. We can leave on Friday."

He had proposed to Laurel Lance eight months ago. And it had been eight months of constant wedding planning. Oliver had figured out a long time ago that he mostly needed to pick the right time to say  _Yes, honey. Of course, Laurel. Sounds great, Laurel._ This was one of those moments. "Sounds great, Laurel." 

"Perfect. I should be back in Starling in a few days. I can't wait to see you."

Oliver's gaze drifted to the glass wall, connecting his office to the main hall where he had clear picture of his personal assistant. She was sitting at her desk with headphones on, bopping around to music only she could hear. He wished he could hear the music rather than being on this phone call. "Laurel, I need to go. I've kept Felicity here long enough."

"You still haven't sent her home? You must really be a slave driver at work," there was amusement in her voice.

Oliver didn't have it inside him to tell her that keeping her after work was all her fault. So he forced a laugh, "Alright. I'll call you when I get home." Or maybe he wouldn't. He was sure she would have another great idea for their upcoming nuptials. 

"Alright, I love you, Ollie."

"Bye," he said before disconnecting the phone call. 

He pressed the intercom button on his desk, "Felicity?" He saw her jump in her seat and turned to face him with a busted look. "All set to go home?" She nodded and removed her headphones. 

It took a few minutes for Oliver to lock up his office and met Felicity in the hall. "Sorry about making you stay late."

She picked up her tablet and shrugged, "Oh, that's alright. Seemed like an important phone call you had."

Oliver scoffed, "Just Laurel making some more plans." They walked together to the elevator, to the main lobby. "I'm going to need you to clear my schedule for next weekend. Laurel wants to go to some winery out in the countryside."

"That sounds lovely," she said. "Alright, have a good night." Felicity approached the security guards. 

"Is something wrong with your car?" 

"It's at the service center. Just going to call for a taxi."

Oliver shook his head, "Don't be ridiculous. I'll give you a lift."

Felicity laughed, "You mean your driver? It's alright, I don't mind getting a cab."

"It's rush hour, and it's not a big deal. Come on, Dig's waiting in the lot." 

Oliver did make a good point. It was rush hour and there wouldn't be much cabs available, which meant that he practically owed it to her for making her stay so late anyways. "Thanks," she said, following him to the parking lot. 

It wasn't a limo like she thought it would be, just a nice Mercedes, like the ones from the airport. Diggle came out from the driver's seat, nodded in greeting to Oliver. 

"We're going to give Felicity a lift home," Oliver said.

Another nod from Mr. Diggle. "Hello John," she said. 

"How are you, Ms. Smoak?"

"Please, call me Felicity," she said. "I'm great. How are the wife and the daughter?" 

"They're well," he said as Felicity followed Oliver into the backseat of the car. 

The car ride to Felicity's town home was different than when Diggle usually drove Oliver back to the manor. The car was filled with chatter. Felicity asking Diggle about this and that; she never stopped talking. It wasn't in an annoying way, it was actually quite nice. Diggle went on and on about Sara's birthday party; she was growing up fast. And then Felicity asked about his weekend plans. It was a trait that Oliver lacked - small talk. And she also liked how she called him  _John_ as opposed to Dig. It implied something more than just acquaintances, his assistant and his bodyguard were...friends. 

They arrived outside of her home and Felicity unbuckled her seat belt. "Thanks for the ride, boys. Oliver, I'll see you tomorrow. Oh, and John, before I forget." She reached into her bag and handed Diggle a wrapped present. "For your little one." 

"Did you need a ride tomorrow morning?" Oliver offered. 

"That won't be necessary. I'm going to pick up the car before work tomorrow." She opened the door and gave one last look inside. "Thanks, again."

Oliver watched as Felicity made it into her house alright. He waited until Diggle reversed out and got back on the road. "How are you such good friends with Felicity, Dig?" 

John chuckled, "I wouldn't call her my best friend. Felicity makes it very easy to be her friend, she cares. How can I dislike someone who bought my daughter a birthday present without even asking her to." 

He was right, Felicity definitely made it very easy to be her friend.

**

It was Thursday of the following week. Oliver was deep in contracts his vision was going blurry. 

"Oliver, Laurel is on line 3," Felicity's voice came on through the intercom. 

"Felicity, take a message," he ground out.

"Sorry, Oliver, but she says it's an emergency."

_Damn it_ , he muttered. Oliver picked up the phone, "Laurel, it's not a great time. I just read over the same sentence six times and I still don't know what it says."

"Ollie, there's an emergency. I can't make it to the winery this weekend. I'm stuck here for another week!" 

He rolled his eyes, "Laurel, this is not an emergency."

"Ollie, this  _is_ an emergency."

"Laurel, do you mind if we can talk about this later, I'm really in the middle of something."

"Fine, but you need to know something. It's non-refundable and so you need to go."

Now she got his attention, "Wait, what?"

"I knew you weren't listening to me. Ollie, I can't leave DC until next week, and the winery is non-refundable. So you need to go." 

"Can't you give it to someone else to check out the place for you?"

"You mean for  _us?_ Honey, just ask Tommy or Thea to go with you. I don't exactly trust your judgement alone. We need to make sure there's enough room for the guests. And you need to compare the outside with the inside, I've always wanted an outdoor wedding. But that also depends on the weather."

This was giving him a migraine, "Laurel, Laurel, Laurel, I cannot do this right now. I have to sign off on these in an hour and I can't have you talking all this wedding plans in my ear."

"Ollie, please," Laurel begged. "I need you to do this for me. For your future wife. Please?"

Again, this was one of those moments before she spoke his ear off. "Yes, Laurel, I'll deal with it. Bye."

Oliver rubbed his face with his hands and groaned. He looked up and saw Felicity typing away on her computer. What did Diggle say about Felicity? It was easy to be her friend, she cared? 


	2. Chapter 2

It had taken Felicity a moment to realize that Oliver was standing in front of her desk. She cautiously looked up and met his gaze with a smile, "Hi?"

"I need you to do something for me."

She dropped her pen and nodded, "You're my boss and I am your assistant. What is it you need?"

"I need you to go with me to the winery."

"Except that."

"Felicity, please." She returned her attention back to her tablet and tried to ignore him. "Laurel is stuck in DC and can't make it, and the deposit on the room is non-refundable. I'm not going to a stranger's wedding by myself."

Felicity raised her gaze, "And how does that make it something I need to do for you. It sounds like a personal problem, if you ask me."

"I don't have anyone else to ask. Look, this trip is supposed to determine where I'm supposed to have my wedding. What do I know about weddings? I'm going to come home after this wedding and just tell Laurel that it's a nice place, and what if I do that and the place is actually crap? I'd have no way of knowing," he said. "And like you said, I am your boss and you are my assistant, you do as I say."

She narrowed her eyes at him, "For business purposes. Why don't you ask the younger Queen?"

"I am not going to spend a weekend alone with my sister at a wedding. I'd rather go alone."

"Then it looks like you're going alone," she said, taking a stack of papers from her desk and walking to the copying room.

"Look, it's a win-win for you, too," he said following her.

"And how do you figure that?"

"It's an all expense-paid trip for you. You won't have to pay for anything out of your own pocket, it's completely free. And it's a wedding. On a winery. That means a lot of free booze." That seemed to pique her interest. 

She turned to face him, "It's a free trip with a lot of free booze. With my boss. Something tells me it's a recipe for disaster."

"I promise, your review next month won't have anything to do with this weekend."

Felicity turned back and continued copying some documents. "Even if I wanted to go on this trip with you, which I don't, but even if i did, what makes you think I'm free this weekend? I do have a life outside this office."

He didn't think that part through, "Do you have plans this weekend?"

She thought this moment over. She could easily lie to Oliver, and knowing him, he would leave her alone. But if she was honest with herself, she was flattered that he even asked her. Oliver Queen, former playboy. He probably had thousands of women he could've asked to go to a winery with him, and yet he was asking her, practically begging her. She wasn't blind, she knew exactly why he was a former playboy. But that part of her was not thinking like her professional self. The professional side of her wanted to lie. There were boundaries that needed to be set, and going to a wedding with her boss was a boundary that she shouldn't cross. 

"I can hear you thinking, which means that you're about to lie to me," he mused. "Look, you don't have to think about it as going to a winery with your boss. You can think of it as a business trip. That's how I am thinking of it. Most of the time, I'm going to be behind my laptop anyways." She didn't budge. "I'll pay you." Oliver saw her throw him a side glance. "I'll pay you $1,000." Felicity froze. Good, he had her attention. "Per day."

"That's more than my weekly salary," she murmured. Felicity had a thing for saying things under her breath.

"That's right. You'll be making more than what you make in a week for those three days you'll be doing me a favor."

She continued copying, "Well, it wouldn't be a favor if you're paying me. It'll be a job."

"A very well-paid job, if you ask me."

Felicity sighed, "There is absolutely no one else you could ask?"

"No. Nobody else."

"I am literally your last resort?"

"Last resort," he confirmed. 

She shut her eyes and counted to three quietly to herself. "I can't believe I am saying this. Fine. But it's a business trip. You're going to do all of that winery crap by yourself while I do business in the room."

"Sure," he said, but he was also sure he could talk her into doing it anyways. All the woman needed was a nice bottle of red wine and she was putty in his hands. "So you'll do it?"

"Yes, I'll do it."

He clenched his hands into fists and stretched them out like he was going to hug her, but he saw her face stiffen. "You are a life saver, Felicity. Thank you. So I'll pick you up tomorrow morning around 9."

"You mean your driver will pick me up?" she corrected him just as she always did. 

"No, I mean I'll come pick you up. I am capable of driving, you know."

She actually hadn't thought about it, but it made sense. "Okay, 9 it is."

 **

Felicity was ready by 8:45. She wasn't sure what to pack, so she grabbed one of everything - sleepwear, casual wear, active wear, formal wear, business wear. By 8:50, she was waiting on her front porch biting her nails. She was nervous and wasn't sure why. She had been Oliver's personal assistant for three years, her days of being nervous around Oliver Queen's presence were long gone. But Felicity _was_ nervous.

This was the first time she was going to be with Oliver in non-business mode, and Felicity in non-business mode was a mess. She stuttered and she was clumsy and she spoke in non-coherent sentences; she just spoke way too much in general. Plus, there was going to be alcohol involved, and Felicity plus alcohol was just a disaster in the making. She stood up and shook her head; she couldn't do this. She was going to call Oliver and back out. She couldn't spend the weekend with her boss alone on a winery. With her engaged boss, not that it mattered. Felicity Meghan Smoak was not attracted to her boss in any way. 

But Felicity didn't even make it to the door when she heard the car pull up.  _Crap!_ she turned around and shielded her eyes from the shining sun. Oliver parked behind her mini cooper which looked even more mini in front of his car. 

Oliver got out of his car and walked towards Felicity. "Good morning." He looked down to see Felicity's three bags. "You realize we're going for three days, not a month. You going to wear everything in that bag each day?"

Felicity rubbed her forehead, "You know, I was actually thinking this isn't such a good idea afterall." After watching this man for three years, she could read all his tells. 

"Felicity..."

"Oliver, you may think you want to spend the next three days with me, but you really don't. We work well in the office together because I am your personal assistant and I know what you need done before you even know it, but this, this is not going to be the office. I am a mess outside of work, and you do not need that around you when you are trying to pick the perfect venue for your wedding. What you really need is some piece and quiet. And maybe you need this vacation," she continued without taking a breath. "Some R&R, some peace and quiet and re-evaluation of everything so when you do come back you're nice and relaxed. You don't need a fake blonde that's just going to spend her days babbling to you. And I'm really bad company, which you're going to realize if we go on this trip. I talk. A lot. And I'm pushy and nosy and--"

Oliver laid his hands on her shoulders, which silenced her. "Felicity, stop. Breathe." He watched her do as he instructed. "I'm going to put your bags in the trunk and you're going to get into the car, understand?"

Before she could respond, Oliver was already grabbing her bags and walking to the back of his car. Okay, fine, she could do this. She obviously was the one with the problem, not him. And Felicity knew how it worked - Fake it 'til you make it. 

She opened the passenger seat door and slid inside, feeling the cool leather underneath her legs.  _Okay, this was really happening,_ she thought. 

After a few moments, Oliver met her inside, and reversed out of her driveway. "So do you always talk that much when you're nervous? I've never noticed that before," he said with a smile. 

"Just brace yourself, the weekend hasn't even started yet." 

Just as Felicity knew would happen, she was sick of the silence. They've been driving for half an hour, and Oliver hadn't said one word. The radio was almost muted, and she realized that Oliver Queen was one of those men that enjoyed listening to non-stop news. She would've pegged him for an EDM guy with his partying past. "So how is Laurel?"

"She's good. She's in DC for a high profile case. She should be back by Wednesday."

"I bet she was bummed she couldn't make it this weekend."

"Yeah."

Felicity noticed his jaw clenching. So he didn't want to talk about it? Or maybe he didn't want to talk about Laurel. Maybe there was trouble in paradise? _Stop_ , she chastised herself. "So what is the plan for this weekend? Does everyone know your assistant is replacing your fiancee?" And then she realized how that sounded. "And by replacing your fiancee, I meant tagging along. Not in a romantic way whatsoever, just in a business trip-way. Okay, I'm going to stop talking." _  
_

Again with the babbling. Maybe she was right and this wasn't a good plan; although they were already long passed the turning back point. "I didn't tell them anything. I didn't find the need to."

Felicity angled her body towards him but he ignored that movement. "Wait, you're telling me that no one knows your fiancee isn't going to be there. But we're going to tell them when we get there, right?" 

"Why? They don't need to know anything. All they need to know is Oliver Queen is there checking out the premises. They don't need to know who I came with."

"Oliver..."

"Felicity, calm down. It's not a big deal. No one is even going to ask who you are." He turned a sideways glance her way and saw her chewing on her bottom lip. "Why are you so nervous anyway? Felicity, you've been my assistant for three years. Shouldn't all this nervous energy be gone by now?" 

"That's what I said!" she called out. But she shouldn't admit she spoke to herself on the off occasion. "What I mean is that, of course I'm not nervous to be around you. It's this whole situation that has me on edge. I'm not sure what it is that you expect from me."

"What I need is a friend. I think it's about time we get to know each other a bit more than just CEO and assistant. Don't think of it so much as a business arrangement, this is just an extended lunch break."

Felicity turned quiet for a moment, "I felt more comfortable with this being a business deal," she whispered. "Okay, so we're two people getting to know each other. Alright, I can do that."

Oliver chuckled, "Alright." 

It was silent for a few more minutes before Felicity chimed in once again. "So tell me about you and Laurel. How did the two of you meet?"

It was Oliver's turn to feel uncomfortable. He never liked to talk about himself, but he did propose getting to know each other. And since she was replacing Laurel this weekend, it was only fair for him to answer her questions. Maybe after this tiny interrogation, it would be finished for the rest of the weekend. "We met back in high school. She was cute, I asked her out. She said yes and here we are."

"That's it? She was cute? Wasn't there something that drew you in?"

"I said she was cute. What else does a teenage boy need?"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe it was her smile that initially drew you in? Maybe it was her laugh? Her intelligence? Even the fact that dating a cop's daughter would get you out of the trouble you always found yourself in?"

Oliver shook his head, "I can assure you that all those are great points. But as a teenage boy, cute is what does it in."

"And so you're telling me that Laurel being cute was the recipe for a ten-year relationship?"

"You know, you're right, you do talk a lot," there was annoyance in his voice.

Felicity clamped her mouth shut. "You were the one that wanted to get to know each other."

"Okay, fine, fair is fair. How did you meet your boyfriend?"

"Ha! I don't have a boyfriend. Back to you. How did you propose to Laurel?"

That was news to him. Oliver had always assumed Felicity had a boyfriend. She was young, blonde, had a great paying job (if he could say so himself), beautiful. It was a recipe for a long-term relationship. "You're single?" 

"Single, ready to mingle," she said in a matter-of-fact tone. "But anyways, how did you propose to Laurel?" 

"Why are you single?" he countered. 

"Why don't you like to talk about you and Laurel?" 

"Why don't you like to talk about yourself?" 

They were both at an impasse. Felicity sat back in her seat, facing forward and Oliver continued driving, both of them not willing to crack first.  _So that's how you shut Felicity up, make her talk about herself._  To fill the overwhelming silence, he turned up the radio and continued driving. 

They were driving for about an hour, and this time, it was Oliver who couldn't take the mindless chatter. He saw Felicity looking out the window, at the passing mountain sides. He figured that it was killing her to be quiet, when really it was him that was dying from the silence. He took a deep breath and sighed. "It was sunset." At the sound of his voice, she turned. "I didn't have it planned, it just sort of happened. I bought the ring months before, and I just brought it with me everywhere I went just in case the moment came up. We were lying on the beach, Laurel was reading a magazine. I was sitting there, and I caught a glimpse of this old couple walking, hand in hand. I remember wondering how long they must've been married for. They weren't talking, they were just walking together, and I found it really sweet - two people who didn't have to be 'on' all the time, they just enjoyed each other that much. And then I remembered I had the ring in my pocket. So I turned to Laurel and took the box out of my pocket of my jeans and held it out to her. I didn't even have to open the box; she took one look at the box and started crying. She said yes before I even asked. It was the happiest day of her life."

Felicity waited, expecting there to be more like _It was the happiest day of my life, too_. But it didn't come. She was about to bring it up, but stopped herself. Because maybe it wasn't his happiest day. Maybe that day was still coming.

She took a deep breath. "I'm single because I haven't said yes to anyone in two years," since he decided to share, it was her turn. But it didn't mean she had to share happily. Her words were dipped with everything but happiness. 

His brain went on override, _T_ _wo years?!_   _That was a long time to be alone._ "Two years? I find that hard to believe."  _  
_

"There've been boyfriends before then, I'm not going to lie, but I've grown tired of it."

Now they were getting somewhere. "You became tired of boyfriends?"

She knew he wouldn't understand. "You don't get it. You've been in a relationship for ten years."

"Nine," he corrected. 

"Whatever. You've been in a relationship for  _nine_ years. You know there's something to be said about being alone," she said defending herself.

"That sounds lonely," his voice was low. 

"Just because I'm alone doesn't mean I'm lonely," Felicity quipped. "I just got tired of all the bullshit. I told myself that I wouldn't enter a relationship unless there was a connection. Physical connections fade."

Oliver cast a look her way, positive that last bit was for his benefit. "So what exactly is it that you're waiting for?" 

Felicity returned her attention to the landscape outside of the car. She thought about it for a moment. What was she waiting for? "Something real."

That was enough sharing for that fifteen minutes it lasted. Obviously, both Oliver and Felicity had an issue with sharing personal aspects of their lives to each other. Felicity checked the GPS screen and saw that they should reach their destination in about an hour. She just hoped that there wasn't any traffic between here and there. The sooner they could arrive at the winery, the faster the weekend might pass and the faster they could resume their positions in the office. 


	3. Sharing

They arrived at the winery just after noon. They hadn't stopped for food, Oliver claiming it was the final stretch. Felicity did her best to stop the rumblings of her stomach, but she was sure Oliver could hear it next to her. The rest of the ride was quiet, neither of them willing to share anything else. She was just glad that they were finally at the winery and she could finally take a few moments to relax. 

Felicity didn't wait for Oliver to open her door, although in the corner of her eye, she saw him double back to the trunk and get their bags. 

The two of them were met in the front of the main house by an elderly woman and possibly her granddaughter. "Hi! You must be the future Mr. and Mrs. Queen! I'm Rachel and this is my grandmother, Mabel." 

Felicity cast a glance at Oliver who shrugged.  _Oh hell no, I am not pretending to be his fiancee_. She reached over to shake the two women's hands. "It's actually Felicity. I'm his assistant. His fiancee couldn't make it this weekend." 

Oliver shook their hands. "Laurel hasn't mentioned the plan for this weekend exactly."

Rachel, the young woman, nodded. "Oh, right of course. The wedding is Sunday, but we're also hosting the wedding rehearsal which is tomorrow night. Today, I was thinking of maybe giving you both the tour."

"You know, only Oliver will be attending the tour," Felicity took a step forward holding her finger up. "If you don't mind, I would like to be shown my room." 

Mabel, the older woman, shook her head. "Well, you see, we thought Mr. Queen was attending this weekend with his fiancee, and because of the wedding, there's no more rooms available. If you called sooner..." she trailed off. Felicity slowly turned to send an evil glare towards Oliver, whose eyes were wide. "But don't you worry, we might have a cot around here somewhere."

"A cot?" Felicity's voice rose in intonation. "A cot would be fabulous, I'm sure Mr. Queen wouldn't mind. He's probably slept in worse conditions."

Oliver wrapped an arm around Felicity's shoulders and squeezed hard, "A cot should be fine. But if you can actually show us the room where we can drop off our stuff. Felicity actually couldn't stop talking about trying some of your finest red wine. She loves wine." 

"Oh!" the older lady squealed. "Then I have a perfect red wine for you to try. Let's all regroup in half an hour. Rae, why don't you show these two to their rooms and I'll have Danny bring in the cot."

Oliver threw his one duffel over his shoulder and grabbed for Felicity's bags. But it was at the same time she grabbed for them, and the two of them bumped heads.

"Ow!" 

"I can grab your bags."

"No, I can get them."

"No, I'll get them."

"It's alright!" Felicity took her bags from Oliver who seemed to have a death grip on them, and started pulling her suitcase behind her. "I didn't grow up with maids and butlers. I can grab my own bags."

Oliver watched as Felicity caught up with Rae and worked her caring magic on her just as she did with everybody else except for him, apparently. 

Rae walked them to a room labelled  _Presidential Suite_. Presidential Suite? Rae opened the door and held it open for Felicity and Oliver to walk through. "So, this is the suite that Laurel requested. Sorry again for the arrangements. But at least you guys have the loveliest of suites. We hold a lot of weddings here, and this is usually reserved for the bride and groom. And we thought that Oliver was going to bring his fiancee, so we reserved it just for you."

Felicity didn't drop her bags as Oliver had. She turned to face Rae. "So if we have the Presidential Suite, what does the real bride and groom have?"

"Oh, they have another room just on the second floor. They weren't too broken up about it."

She turned to Oliver and eyed his bag. "Don't get comfortable. Tell the bride and groom that this room is now theirs."

"Felicity, you really don't need to do that."

"It's not a bother. We don't mind really," she insisted.

Oliver picked up his bag and followed the women upstairs. He admired Felicity for the gesture. It was really sweet of her to do that for the couple, a couple she's never even met. 

The other room wasn't too bad. It was definitely smaller than the Suite, but it wasn't uninhabitable. It even had a nice view from the balcony. But he was sharing a smaller room with a woman who appeared to be uncomfortable in his presence. 

"Here you go. I'll have Danny bring in the cot. It was really a nice thing you did. And don't forget, the tour in half an hour. And my grandmother will wait for you, so don't think you can try to bail."

Oliver dropped his bag and opened the doors, letting in the fresh air. "This is nice." 

"It's no Presidential Suite," Felicity said, unloading her bags and hanging her clothes in the closet. 

"I'm not that guy," he said, his back towards her.

Felicity glanced his way but didn't stop what she was doing. "And what guy do I think you are?"

"Well you've made some remarks about my lifestyle. Yes, I grew up wealthy. I had maids and butlers who did a lot for me, but that's not who I am. They don't make my decisions for me. I don't need to stay in the Presidential Suite, and I can sleep on a cot if I need to."

Felicity dropped her gaze. Well, this was a great start. She not only bickered with her boss, but she also insulted him and it hasn't even been 24hours yet. "Oh, frack. You're right. I'm sorry, Oliver. Sometimes my mouth thinks faster than my brain. It usually gets me in trouble, like now. I'm sorry. From now on, I'm going to try my hardest and filter like a normal person." Oliver gave her a nod. She grabbed a hanger from the closet and headed towards the bathroom. "I'm just going to freshen up before the tour."

Once she returned back to the room, Oliver was outside on the balcony overlooking the scenery. It really was beautiful here, the rolling hills laid out before him. They weren't surrounded by any main roads, so there were no sounds of traffic. The sky was clear today, the sun beating down. But he thought that even when the sun didn't shine, the sky probably looked transcendent. He could only imagine what it looked like during the night.

Felicity's knock on the door snapped him out of his thoughts, "Ready?" 

"Yeah," he grabbed his baseball cap and slipped it on his head, following her back down to the foyer.

Mabel was there with another young couple who couldn't keep their hands off each other. The young man had his arm around his fiancee, caressing the small of her back, and the woman was cuddled into his side. Felicity cast a nervous glance towards Oliver who just raised his eyebrows. 

"Oh, there they are! Felicity, Oliver, this is the Aidan and Lily," Mabel said.

They exchanged handshakes, "Mabel told us about the room switch, we can't thank you enough," Lily said.

"It was no trouble at all. You both deserve the Presidential Suite on your special day," Oliver said.

"That didn't matter to us," Aidan looked down at his bride-to-be and pushed her hair away from her face, kissing her forehead. "As long as we were together, the room didn't matter."

There was too much love in the air, even for Felicity. She crossed her arms and plastered a smile, trying not to look so uncomfortable at their outward display of affection. "So should we get this tour started?" 

"Of course, of course. Rae's actually going to take you over the grounds." The elderly woman called over her granddaughter. 

Felicity looked around and saw a handful of people running around carrying everything from plates to flowers to pots and pans. It really did take a village to prepare for a wedding. She absent-mindedly followed the small crowd outside. 

"So over here is where the ceremony is going to be held," Rae pointed to the expansive greenery. "Oliver, Laurel mentioned that she may be interested in having an outdoor ceremony. In terms of capacity, we cap off at 300, so if you wanted to tweak your guest list, we can try to make it work."

Felicity leaned into Oliver, "How many people are on your guestlist?"

"500," he whispered. "I'll let Laurel know," he said to Rae.

Her eyes widened in shock. She didn't even know half as many people. How the hell was he going to invite 500 people?! Felicity continued walking, taking in the breathtaking views. Just to her left, past the hill she could see down to where the grapevines were. There were hundreds, if not more, of lines of grapes. It must've taken a great number of people just to collect all the grapes. To her right, a few miles out, there was a river. If she zoned the talking out of her mind, she could almost hear the water streaming down. It was gorgeous here. 

They continued walking for twenty minutes, Felicity soaking in everything around here. They were now in the grapevines, walking right in the middle of it. From this vantage point, she couldn't see where the vines started or where it ended. The couple continued cuddling, sharing intimate moments behind Oliver. And when she did happen to look over at Oliver, it looked like he was doing the same thing she was doing - trying his best to ignore them.

Felicity caught up with Rae, walking by her side. "It must've been beautiful growing here."

Rae nodded, "Definitely. When you're younger, you resent being so far away from civilization. My dad would have to drive almost an hour just to get us to school, but as an adult, you realize that not everyone gets to experience life like this."

"And you and your family would do all the work yourselves?" 

"Yeah. Again, you resent this life when you're younger. It takes days just to collect the grapes and when the temperature drops, you only have a few hours before the vines can catch on fire. Waking up in the crack of dawn were obviously a pain, but the work is worth it. I had my first glass of wine when I was eight."

"Did you enjoy it?" 

"Heck no," she laughed. "It tasted like medicine. But you need to try the wine before you bottle it. It's hard work, for sure, but I don't regret a minute of it. This land has been in my family for years. My great-great-grandfather bought the land. My great-grandfather was the one who started growing grapes. He actually proposed to my great-grandmother over there," she said, pointing over the hill. "This is also where I met Danny."

"Husband?"

"Fiance," she corrected with a smile.

Felicity returned the smile, "This place has a lot of history."

"A lot."

The tour continued into the cellars where barrels upon barrels lined the walls. Felicity stayed close to Rae, Oliver on her heels listening to the chatter between the two women. 

"When my grandmother met my grandfather, he was from the land just next to ours. Family tensions ran high and her father forbid her to see him. She used to sneak him down here in these tunnels," Rae pointed to the side pockets. "He gave her her first kiss here," she said quietly. "They shared a lot of firsts here," she chuckled. "I used to sneak Danny down here, I always found the cellars quite romantic. Once you get past the musk. We used to spend hours down here."

She unlocked a door where there were shelves of bottled wine. "This is where we store the wine. There's more rooms down here, it's based on the year we case the wine."

"Is this also the wine you use for your events?"

"Yeah. We bring the couples to the different rooms, try a few glasses and they get to choose which wine to feature. Would you like to try some?"

"I've been looking forward to this moment since I agreed to join him down here," Felicity's eyes widened in excitement. 

Oliver didn't stop his smile. He followed her into the room. Rae took one of the bottles on the shelves and some glasses from a cupboard. She poured four glasses of red wine and handed to each of them. He watched Felicity swirl her glass and take a sniff before placing the glass between her lips and take a sip .

"Oh, that's good wine," she said. She looked over to Oliver, "You need this one at your wedding. That's If you like it, obviously."

Oliver took a sip and nodded, "That is nice. But I have a feeling you're going to say that about each glass."

They moved onto the next four rooms, and just as he predicted, Felicity did say the same thing about each wine. The tour finished off just as the sun began to set.The couple disappeared a few hours ago, claiming that they were tired, but Oliver knew exactly what they were up to. For the past five hours, their hands didn't escape each other's bodies.

He also learned that Felicity was a light-weight. She may have asked for a few refills, but because she became Rae's best friend, she obliged Felicity. And now, Felicity had a hard time walking in a straight line and everything was funny to her. 

Rae had left to help her grandmother finalize some plans before the wedding rehearsal and it was now just Oliver and Felicity. "You can go back to the room and do some business," she said, putting airquotes next to her ears. 

"And leave you alone while you're drunk? I don't think so," Oliver said.

"I am not drunk!' Felicity countered. "I am blissfully tipsy. And hey, I warned you. I am not responsible for my actions when alcohol is involved." She stumbled through the grass and shielded her eyes, looking into the horizon. "Lets go over to the stream! I want to dip my feet in the water," she took off, half running, half trying not to fall on her face.

Oliver took off after her, watching as the skirt of her sundress flowed behind her. He hadn't seen her in anything but fitted skirts and blouses. It was her signature outfit. He also watched as the curls in her blonde hair bounced with each movement. Again, different than her daily hair at work, which was typically in a low ponytail or straight. He realized now that this was Felicity outside of work, this was Felicity the woman, not Felicity his personal assistant. Of all the realizations he had today, he realized that he liked the company of _this_  Felicity. 

He came to a stop just as Felicity started removing her strappy sandals and throwing them onto the grass. Oliver stood and looked around. There was nothing but grass surrounding them. He could see in the far distant that they were setting up a white tent for the rehearsal dinner and possibly the reception. With his hands on his hips, he closed his eyes trying to picture getting married here. This place was amazing, very serene. But as hard as he was trying to picture it, he couldn't. He couldn't see the 500 hundred people lining up in rows of chairs. He couldn't picture beautiful Laurel emerging from the main lobby walking down the makeshift aisle towards him. He couldn't picture saying vows to Laurel here. But he's known Laurel for almost half his life and he knew that she would love this place. But did that mean he didn't? 

Oliver opened his eyes and found Felicity balancing on the rocks. That couldn't be a wise decision in her condition. "Felicity, I don't think this is a good idea."

She scoffed, "The water is barely a few feet deep, there's no chance of me drowning. And even if there was, you'd save me." Of course he would, but it didn't mean he'd be happy to. "Or you could do something wild and join me."

"I don't think so," he answered quickly.

"Right, I forgot, ever since your playboy days, you don't do wild," she said in a snarky comeback. Once the words were out, she immediately regretted it. "Frack, I'm sorry. I promise, I really am trying to filter."

Oliver toed off his boat shoes and rolled up the ends of his jeans. "I can do wild," he countered. "I'm not saying that balancing on these rocks are wild, but hey, to one it's own, right?" But instead of joining her, he sat at the end where the grass levelled off into the water and dipped his feet inside. The water was nice and refreshing after that many hours of walking. He stretched his arms behind him, supporting his weight and watched the sun set. 

"So what's your opinion on this place so far?"

"It's great," he answered. 

"That's not an opinion, that's a fact. Do you want to get married here?" she pushed. 

Oliver took a moment, "I don't know yet, let's wait until the weekend is over before I make a final decision."

Felicity leapt for the next rock, "You make the final decision or Ms. Laurel Lance makes the final decision?" She caught his death glare. "All I mean is that I know how bridezillas work, they want what they want," she backtracked.

Oliver didn't answer to that. She was right, Laurel would make all the final decisions. She had the list of the finalized guests. She would finalize the colours that were to be used for the wedding. She would finalize the flowers. She would probably finalize his vows if she could. But she couldn't, and a part of it was because he hadn't written them yet. 

Laurel was great. She really was. She was the strongest woman he knew. She knew what she wanted and she did everything she could to get it. She wanted to be a lawyer since the first day they talked, and look at her now - Assistant District Attorney to Starling City. But Felicity was right, the fact was Laurel was great. But what was his opinion on her? What was his opinion on their upcoming nuptials?

He watched that couple earlier today. He heard them talking to Felicity. They've been together for seven years, engaged for two of them. Seven years and they acted like they just met a month ago. He didn't remember the last time he was that affectionate with Laurel. When they went out in public, sure, he held her hand, but he stopped nibbling her earlobe years before. Was there something wrong with that? He hadn't thought much about it until now.

His thoughts were interrupted by a loud thud. He got ready to jump up when he saw Felicity flat on her butt. But she wasn't crying, she was laughing. She gave out a hearty laugh before standing up and lifting her dress away from her skin. 

"Are you okay?"

Felicity threw her head back and continued on laughing, "Yeah," she made out. "You were right, this wasn't a good idea. But it sure was fun." She stepped into the cool water and made her way over to him. She took a seat next to him on the grass and laid back watching the sky. "What were you just thinking about?" He remained quiet. "I'm not the only with a loud brain."

"At least you're not slurring your words this time," he said by way of changing the subject. 

Felicity rolled her eyes, "I'm not drunk," she repeated. "And I can tell that something is on your mind. You were the one who said you wanted us to get to know each other."

"Well you're not exactly opening up that easily, either," Again, back to the bickering. 

"Fine, I'll tell you my first impression of this place. It's perfect for a wedding." She pointed to the hill where the tour just started. "I probably wouldn't want the ceremony over there though. It's too...cliche I think. If it were my wedding, I would probably have the ceremony where they're setting up for the reception. It's a little more bland, but I would want the views to be visible during the reception. Although, there is that issue about the guest count. By the way, how the hell do you know 500 people? Are you inviting the whole building?"

Oliver's lips quirked into a smile. "Family from both mine and Laurel's sides. Friends, and obviously some business clients. Plus, we have to consider press."

She forgot about the press. "Are you nervous about what the press will say?" 

He shook his head, "I could care less about the press. I'm in it for the wedding, not the press release."

Now that she could understand. "But still, having 500 people watch my every movement on one of the biggest days of my life? That's pretty nerve-wrecking. Personally, if it was my wedding I would probably cap it off at 50 guests. 20 friends and 5 family members from both sides; keep the day small and intimate. Plus, I don't want to spend the days leading up to the wedding studying faces and names. I was never good at that to begin with." She sat up and pulled on some grass, catching him watching her. "What? Did I say something insulting again?"

"No, no. You didn't. You just described the perfect wedding. Small, intimate; no expectations of the perfect wedding. It sometimes gets easy to forget we're planning a wedding and not some sort of function to impress the Board, you know?"

Felicity nodded. "It must be hard. Being a Queen gives you all these opportunities, but I never realized the baggage you carry sometimes. I watch you in the office. You're good at being the CEO. I guess I always thought you had everything else figured out."

He smiled, "I'm a good CEO?" Oliver had his doubts sometimes. He remembered visiting his father in the office; he always had the right answer, always knew what to do. Now, Oliver felt like he was barely breathing.

She noticed his faraway expression. She caught that look a few times, when people would bring up his family. "Your parents would be proud," she said. 

"You really think so?" Oliver turned to face her.

The look on his face was utter vulnerability. Felicity nodded, "Yeah, I really do." She brought her knees to her chest, "Do you think about them a lot?"

"Sometimes. Sometimes, when I'm in his office, I remember all those times he took me there. Dad used to let me drink soda in his office," he smiled at the distant memory. "And Mom, she was the definition of unconditional love, you know? Always putting her family first. Every time I would get into trouble, she'd have my back, ready to defend me. She was the same way with Thea, that little princess. Spoiled brat, let me tell you. But there was never a day that I doubted my parents loved me."

Felicity rested her chin on her knees. "Sounds nice."

"You probably had it better, though. Living it up in Vegas," he nudged her shoulder. But like Felicity, he caught that look in her eyes. "What?"

"My mom is a waitress in Las Vegas. It's as much fun as it sounds for a teenage girl," she chuckled. "And..." Felicity took a deep breath. "And my dad left. I don't really remember him because I was young, but I do remember what it was like when he left." She tensed up when she felt Oliver's hand at her back. Felicity moved to stand, so he would let go. "Anyways, we were talking about your wedding," she said brushing off that moment.

Oliver stood up and took a step towards her, "Felicity."

"If you move the tent to where the ceremony is being held for this wedding, you're going to have cut the guest list down. But at least you won't have guests running off to take pictures with that amazing view." 

"Felicity...your dad."

"We're not talking about my dad, Oliver," she grabbed her shoes off of the grass.

"But..." Oliver's phone chimed in his pocket. "Felicity."

"Is it Laurel?" He looked down and saw her picture blinking at him. "You should pick it up. I'll be in the room." Felicity continued on barefoot.

**

The winery also held a dinner in the main lobby. Oliver walked back after his call with Laurel and saw Felicity holding a plate of food. The wedding guests started filling in, so the lobby was buzzing with conversation, and he wasn't surprised when he saw Felicity chatting it up with strangers. 

She didn't change but she threw her hair up in a bun, and instead of those sandals, she wore flip flops. She was definitely putting those three bags to use this weekend.

He approached her with an empty plate, "Hey." 

Felicity turned to face him with a smile, "Hi. How's Laurel?"

"Wanted to know my impression of the place. And she liked the suggestion you made."

"You told her," her mouth forming a small O. 

"Of course I told her. It was a good idea. Although, now you've burdened her with cutting the guest list down."

One side of her lip curled, "You can start with the press."

His smile matched hers and he laid a hand on her shoulder. It was a moment of silence between them, but he started at her with sympathetic eyes. It was a look of acknowledging what they spoke about earlier. Felicity talked a lot, she spoke to people like she could see inside of them. But when it came to her, he knew she had her guard up, yet she shared that small piece of her. 

Felicity was the one who broke eye contact first. He got up and went to grab some food for dinner before returning next to her and listening in to the conversation taking place. Of course, there was Felicity talking to people like they've been friends forever. More wine was shared, and by the time they made it back into their room, it seemed like this day lasted for much longer than 24-hours. 

As requested, there was a cot next to the bed, and Oliver settled his duffel atop of it. "You can use the bathroom first if you'd like."

"No, you go. I need to check my email," Felicity took out her tablet and took a seat on the bed. 

It didn't take long for him to shower and get ready for bed. He re-emerged from the bathroom with pajama bottoms and a towel slung over his shoulders. Felicity did her best to not ogle, but her eyes happened to gaze up and she saw him. 

"Bathroom's all yours," he called out, his back towards her.

Felicity watched as his back muscles bunched with his movements. Damn, this was what she was worried about. His bottoms were hanging low on his hips, his lean hips and she could make out the tattoos on his back. He took the towel from his shoulders and used it to wipe the top of his head which made droplets of water fall on his skin.  _Stop staring_ , she told herself.  _Stop staring._

"Felicity?"

She dropped her gaze back to the screen and pretended not to hear him.

"Felicity?" he called again. Finally, she looked up and tried to look anywhere but his body. "Bathroom's all yours."

"Right, yeah. Okay, thanks. Just, um, give me a second," she locked her screen, dug into her bag and grabbed everything she needed. 

She shut the bathroom door and rested her palms on the counter, looking at her reflection. Her hair was in disarray, some of her mascara rubbed off underneath her eyes and her foundation melted off her face some. Great, she looked like this and he looked like that. Felicity shook her head, why was she thinking these things? This was her boss and her boss was engaged, there was zero reason to try to impress him. 

After her shower, she looked through the pile of clothes she brought in with her and realized she brought out the clothes she wore for the ride over here. That meant she needed to get out of the bathroom and get her pyjamas. Naked. In a towel. "You can do this," she told her reflection. "You forgot you PJs, there's nothing wrong with that. He's probably asleep anyways." 

She cracked the door open a tiny bit and saw that he was on his cot with his phone in his hand. "Frack," she muttered. "Just go out there. In and out. 1. 2. 3." Felicity opened the door making sure her towel was tight around her bust. She went straight to her bags, not even glancing at Oliver. Her heart was pounding, this was way too intimate for two business associates. 

Oliver heard the door open and watched as Felicity came through the door in nothing but a towel. Her hair was wet, curls already forming. He dropped his gaze, but then looked up again. She was going through her bags haphazardly. His eyes raked over her body slowly, her pink-painted toes, her bare legs. She looked like she had soft skin.  _Stop staring_ , he ordered himself and he did, he focused on his phone. 

Felicity knew she brought too much. She didn't remember which bag she put her pjyamas in and it felt like shes been out of the steamy bathroom forever. "Yes!" she called before running back into the bathroom. 

She quickly changed and walked out of the bathroom a few minutes later, acting like nothing happened. She checked the clock, and it was only quarter after ten. She threw the duvet off the bed and tried to relax. But she was restless. When she looked over at Oliver, he was still on his phone, probably texting Laurel. She took her phone and checked her messages. Nothing. But a moment later, she sighed as her phone rang.  _Thank God!_  even if it was her mother. She jumped out of the bed and headed for the balcony. "Hey Mom."

Once Felicity left the room, he checked the blank screen on his phone. What was he doing? Nothing, that was what. He hit the home screen and saw his background photo - him and Laurel, happy. So if he was happy, then why was he looking at Felicity in  _that_ way? He dialled Thea's number needing a distraction. "Hey Speedy."

Both conversations lasted for about five minutes. Felicity re-entered the room and grabbed a sweater from the closet. "I'm not tired. I think I might go for a walk outside."

Oliver almost jumped out after her. "Do you mind some company?"

She was really leaving the room to get away from Oliver, but how could she say that without sounding rude? "Oh, don't you have some business to do?"

He shook his head, "No. I could use some fresh air too. But if you'd rather be alone..."

Felicity waited a beat, "It's okay. I don't usually sleep passed midnight, and this room doesn't even have a TV." She waited for Oliver to grab his sweater and slip on some shoes. He followed her outside. 

 

 


End file.
